Reviews by nevele

A personal, honest and raw album, almost to a fault. We hear pain and frustration dripping out of the speakers.
It was a brave release, very minimal in its production, which is a relief after the bombastic later records of the Beatles.
Because this is really a therapeutic album for Lennon it seems, he sometimes forgot to also make some of the songs more memorable.

According to my brother this is the best of the WuTang solo records, but I've never really understood that statement

As with most live albums on this list, this would've needed to be experienced, not really listened to afterwards

It's a lot of fun, with lyrics that keep surprising.

This album might be a bit less dynamic as their two previous ones, but the album still stands as a great product of the heavy rock in the 90's. Good funky hardrock with especially space for the bassguitar to excel, lyrics with a message, highly political, and a superb voice of lead-singer Skin.

This band was massive in Europe in the 90's and I think I certainly didn't give them the credit back then they deserved. They fit my musical and societal tastes like a glove.

There's only one reason for this album, and it does that reason well

This was the album that woke everyone up to the fact we had finally abandoned the 80's. And because of this a huge wave of alternative music hit the markets and made artists look for new and better ways.

But being that influential and important does not always mean it's a great album.

Now don't get me wrong, I like this album a lot. But it doesn't mean it was the best album of that time period or of the Grunge genre.

Hell, this isn't even the best album of Nirvana.

Great music, superb flow, infantile lyrics

Back in the late 90's, early 2000's you had two bands that got shared under that weird header 'Nu-Metal' that you would find on almost every summer music festival in Europe: Deftones and KoЯn.

One band I absolutely adored the music and albums of. Around the Fur and especially White Pony were landmarks for this new sound. Heavy with a deep underground layer of angst, superb songwriting, the Deftones were fantastic.

Korn on the other hand were lyrically childish, musically only had one trick and were by all measures uninteresting.

Live though, it was a different story. Deftones just plain sucked. Every time. I don't think I've ever seen them perform well. The sounds and atmosphere they created on their albums never made it to a live experience.
And Korn went the other way. They were able to make even the biggest hater of their music dance and jump and get a little smile on their face when all their fans did the back on forth on Reclaim My Place.

Now back listening to this album... It really has not stood the test of time and wasn't really good to begin with. I think "Got The Life" is the only redeeming feature on an otherwise dull experience. I will never have to revisit this.

I'd see them live though if they were at a festival again.

When I heard this album all those years back, I couldn't do too much with it (that voice!) and it started to feel a bit boring after the 4th song. So where I followed bands like The Melvins, this band never stayed really with me.

But I'm glad I now gave it a second listen. And then a third. And at the time of writing this, now my fifth.

And I'm completely converted. The lo-fi wall of rock noise jumps straight into your living room, the unpolished but virtuoso solos are making you sit up and an immense creativity in the songwriting just adds to it. Even the voice adds to the sound.

What a landmark in rock history!

I understand why you would want to preserve an album like this. All these traditional songs to be saved for posterity.

But my enjoyment of this album is another matter

This was a great debut of a young rock band looking for their sound.
A definite 90's alternative UK rock album, where you hear influences from 90's punkrock (Lose Control) to britpop (Goldfinger), songs that were found in the attic of Iggy & The Stooges (I'd Give You Anything) or could have been covers of Fountains Of Wayne (Girl From Mars).

All in all a very enjoyable experiences. But not one of the greats, despite what the British Music Press tried to make us believe in 1996

Yes, the riffs are good and they're all great musicians , but the songs and Dave's voice are just not there yet.
That would come later, this just wasn't it yet.

A technically outstanding jazz record, and recorded in a day, while also recording a second album. Especially the bass solos are a joy to behold.
But the album never grabbed me, never made me really listen. I liked it, but didn't love it.

Besides a few standout tracks, this was an entirely forgettable experience, and I was expecting so much more from this.

A great combination of Subsaharan, Blues and Folk. Something unique and some songs have a hypnotising beauty.

At first I didn't really know what to do with this album. It showcases a wide range of emotions, musicality and styles and I didn't feel it was an album as a whole.
But slowly with listening a second and third time (only the album, not the lesser 4 bonus tracks) it is really growing on me. The Midlake flute and subtle orchestrations in Marz, the anger in JC Hates Faggots - writing away the hypocrisy of religion and homosexuality in his youth -, the humour in Chicken Bones, it all fits.
I'm also glad that the album balances the heavier songs with the fluffier.

An album that will go a few more times into rotation after this last 24 hours. I'm intrigued.

Modern Cosmology is a very versatile album worth exploring. From the first to the last note. I only knew The Architect and really liked that song when it came out, but never explored the rest of Jane Weaver's discography for some reason.
I'm glad I did. There's so many influences on this album, from 80's disco, to Velvet Underground, Gary Numan or OMD. And Jane weaves (heh-heh) it all as one whole.

Yeah, it's ambient, but ambient on a artistic level

Some guys jamming, but it got a bit out of hand, and now it's on a record